


No One

by DreamDrop



Series: The bodyguard and his protégé [6]
Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Auguste finds out Laurent and Damen are dating, Auguste is the king, Damen is/was Laurent's bodyguard, Laurent is a businessman, M/M, POV Auguste, This is his reaction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:35:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26822272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamDrop/pseuds/DreamDrop
Summary: Only now did he realize how hard it was to breath although Damen had reassured him quite firmly that Laurent was not harmed in any way.He wrapped his arms tightly around his sibling and just kept him close for a second. “I am glad you are here. I love you really much, Laurent, don’t you ever forget that.”--- The one in which Auguste finds out that Laurent and Damen are dating.
Relationships: Damen/Laurent (Captive Prince)
Series: The bodyguard and his protégé [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1834633
Comments: 6
Kudos: 60





	No One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Whymethemusical](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whymethemusical/gifts).



> This is a gift for Whymethemusical. Thank you so much for providing the prompt :) I hope you like it.  
> To all the other readers, I hope you like this new part of the universe and as I said before, if you have a wish, just drop by my inbox (either write your wish in a comment or on tumblr (dreamdropxoxo))  
> I would love to hear all your thoughts on this one. Have fun!

Auguste stared at the document as if it was his personal nemesis. It wasn‘t. It was just his job as king. At least Laurent took over the companies of their mother’s side of the family. However, it didn’t change the fact that he could spend much too little time with his family. 

A sigh escaped him as he reclined in his office chair. He swirled once around and then continued to stare at the clock on the wall.

“Your Highness, what are you doing?“ The voice of his secretary made him flinch. Jokaste watched him with her piercing blue eyes. Her hair was done up in a bun. She looked very severe in that moment.

“I want to go home.“ He knew he appealed to her consciousness in vain, she didn’t have one.

“Finish your work and you can go home.“ Her manicured fingernails tapped against her coffee cup while pining him to his place with only one look. Just his brother had the same intense gaze. 

Auguste sighed. “You are too cruel.“  
Jokaste laughed and put the coffee before him. “I‘d like to think about myself as consistent.“ 

Auguste stared at the coffee. He knew it would be perfect, fitted to his tastes. “I think I love you.“

She laughed again. Patted his shoulder and replied, “I know. You can‘t help it, I am amazing. Your brother asked me to bring you home at a reasonable time since he is visiting Arles and wants to talk to you.“ 

“How come you listen to him? I am the king and you never listen to me.” He threw his hands up in the air and Jokaste only shrugged. “Laurent can be very intimidating if he sets his mind to it and I rather not get on his bad side. You are too dependent on me for retaliating.”

This actually made sense and Auguste dropped his head on the smooth surface of his table in defeat. “Fine. I will finish looking over the banquet proposal for my birthday and then I will go home. Do we have a deal?”

Jokaste regarded him with something akin to pity in her eyes. “Fine. But just as a warning. Damianos is waiting outside.”

Auguste groaned. “Why? Why does this have to be my life? Shouldn’t he be with my brother? If this goes on, I won’t have time to cuddle Laurent when I get home because he will be sleeping.”

“Don’t be such a drama king. One could think Laurent is still five years old.”  
“No, he is 23 and I have even less time with him. I could cry. This is a disaster.” Auguste mumbled the last part of his speech into his hands. It wouldn’t really do for him to avoid the situation any longer. 

He needed to see Damianos, his own preferences be damned.  
“Send him in. I will finish with the banquet later.”

Jokaste nodded and didn’t even bother to close the door. Then Damen sauntered inside. He looked sharp, professional and very nervous. It was jarring. Normally, the tall man was anything but nervous. Auguste was sure he never saw him like this before.

“What happened to Laurent?“ The only reason Auguste could imagine for Damen’s strange behavior was if something happened to his little brother. 

Maybe he had sliced his finger off while trying to proof everybody wrong on the fact that he couldn’t cook even if his life depended on it, or he got his nose broken because he annoyed the shit out of someone until they couldn’t hold their anger in check anymore, or he was stabbed with a fork by Nicaise, finally (because everybody else already felt the wrath of the little goblin).

Damen flinched back as if Auguste had slapped him. “Nothing happened to him. I would never...“

Auguste raised an eyebrow, “I know that you would never let something happen to him but Lazar doesn‘t have the same qualms. If it‘s something minor he let‘s Laurent walk straight towards his doom.“

Damen sucked in a sharp breath. “He didn’t tell you.“ It sounded a lot like a revelation. The relief was evident in Damen’s face and tone. Auguste immediately grew suspicious. 

“Damen, spit it out. Whatever he treathened you with, my wrath will be 1000 times worse if my brother is in danger and you didn’t tell me.“ He narrowed his eyes at him. He knew Damen wouldn’t possibly keep something serious from him, at least he hadn‘t up until now. 

“It‘s nothing that‘s going to hurt him. He is perfectly fine and will be as long as I can make sure of it.“ Damen‘s words calmed him down and Auguste plopped down in his chair again. “Fine. And what has you in this state then?”

“Let’s go back and I will tell you.” He wrung his hands in a way that had Auguste almost asking again if Laurent was really alright. Damen never got this worked up over something else than Laurent’s health or well-being in general. To say that he was slightly concerned would be an understatement.

Jokaste didn't even try to stop him when he marched out of his office and that told him more about the look on his face than any mirror could ever have. She only pressed her red lips together and narrowed her eyes at Damen before they went out the door.

When they arrived back at the manor, Auguste saw Laurent lounging in the front parlor, as if he had no care in the world. Something in his chest loosened up and he was just relieved for a second as he watched his younger brother furiously scratching some part out of a document. 

Only now did he realize how hard it was to breath although Damen had reassured him quite firmly that Laurent was not harmed in any way. 

He wrapped his arms tightly around his sibling and just kept him close for a second. “I am glad you are here. I love you really much, Laurent, don’t you ever forget that.”

His brother was certainly surprised. However he returned the hug without saying anything. It was rather awkward. The angle was all wrong and Laurent was still sitting down and Auguste had to almost bend in half but still, it was exactly what he needed in that moment. He just needed the physical proof that his brother was alright and here and happy.

“I love you too.” Laurent murmured and patted his shoulder comfortingly. Auguste knew that Laurent was aware of the fact that his older brother had a fear of loosing even more people, he also knew that his younger brother felt responsible to reassure him.

Sometimes Auguste felt almost overwhelmed by the guilt that he burdened his baby brother with so much of his own baggage but Nicaise and Laurent were the last family he had and he would be damned if something happened to them.

When he took a step back and sat down in the armchair, Laurent only observed him closely. “Are you alright?”  
“Yes, I am fine. I am just very happy that you are fine too.” 

Laurent’s eyes flickered to Damen, who stood in the door frame, his broad shoulders almost brushing against the wood.  
“What is wrong with him?” Laurent asked their bodyguard, who shrugged. 

“I think he might be a bit worried because I am rather nervous and he is correctly assuming that it has something to do with you. Although he doesn’t have to worry that you’d ever get hurt on my watch.”

Laurent’s smirk at these words was practically feral. “Well I consider myself lucky then that I can be a witness to such a rare moment. You are rather cute when you are nervous.”

Auguste looked to Damen, fully expecting him to roll his eyes. He was rather taken aback when he saw the man blush avert his gaze. Auguste redirected his eyes to his brother and then suddenly, when he saw the expression on Laurent’s face, it all clicked together.

Without a word he stood up, walked over to Damen and planted his fist in his stupidly handsome face. 

“Since when are you fucking him?” His voice was dangerously calm. The rage he felt was cold as ice, he was so angry in fact that his words almost shook. “Since when, Damianos? I won’t ask again.”

Damen looked at him in shock but also understanding. He didn’t try to defend himself and that made Auguste even angrier. 

It was true, then. He felt a red haze descend on his vision. The feeling was almost dizzying in its intensity. He punched Damen in the stomach and realized with some satisfaction that the bodyguard wasn’t expecting it. He gasped for breath. Good so, he wanted to hurt him. 

He didn’t even realize that Laurent had overcome his initial shock and was now standing beside him. His brother grabbed his elbow and only then did Auguste register his presence. 

“If you dare to touch him again, I won’t forgive you. I might not be able to compete with you if brute strength is the thing to go by, but I can take you on.” His tone was icy, his eyes even more so and for the first time in his life did Auguste doubt if he even knew his little brother. 

He stared in the face of a stranger and it was horrifying to realize. The idea of him not knowing Laurent was so absolutely absurd he wanted to laugh, but at the same time it seemed it was still the reality he had to face.

He took a step away, still too angry and now also hurt to react rationally. “And you, didn’t even think for one second that I would like to know?”“Auguste, you can’t mean that. Naturally did I want you to know.”

“Obviously not or you would have told me. I can’t believe neither of you took the two minutes it would have taken to tell me. I thought I could trust you, Damianos to keep my brother save but now I have to figure out that you are fucking him. I feel so stupid. How long is this already going? Weeks, months, years?!”

“It’s not like that. Auguste, you have to believe me. I wouldn’t hurt him ever. You know that.”

“I thought I knew that and yet I also thought you were loyal, which was obviously a misconception,” he knew he was being unfair but he couldn’t stop the hurt from making him cruel. 

“And you,” he rounded on his brother, “you seriously have to believe me stupid. I know I can’t compete against your overwhelming intellect but I never thought you would think me so oblivious and dense. It makes me sick.”

Laurent’s blank mask made way for a horrified expression. He looked as if Auguste had struck him. “I never thought you stupid, Auguste. Please just let me explain.”

“What is there to explain? Both of you didn’t think that I was important enough to be informed of this… this development. None of you ever took the time to even waste one thought about me and that tells me enough. I placed your life in Damen’s hands and I trusted you to take care of yourself and not just go and fuck the damn bodyguard.” 

Before either of them could voice their anger at the words, Auguste started yelling at Damen again. “I put the damn life of the most important person in my life in your hands and you betray me like that. I never thought I would have to doubt you or our friendship but apparently I put a lot more worth on it than you.”

Damen shook his head. “Auguste, this has nothing to do with you or our friendship. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“He is my brother, Damianos. How can this have nothing to do with me?”  
“Because I would have done it either way if he wasn’t your brother. I don’t regret one second of it.”

His words rang in the room and Auguste gritted his teeth.

“Auguste, please don’t say anything you might regret now.” Laurent’s voice was cool and controlled. 

Auguste recognized it from the negotiations with some foreign diplomats and also from the meetings they had with the board of directors of the company from their mother. Never before had he used this tone of voice with Auguste himself and it froze him to the bones. 

“I won’t allow you to insult Damianos any further. If you have an issue with our relationship you can take it up with me but Damen is off limits for you. I am angry enough to not hold back for you.”

Auguste turned to him slowly. “You are serious.”  
Something in his face must have convinced Laurent to give him another chance because the face of his brother softened the smallest fraction.

“Auguste, I love him. I love him so much I would risk your wrath ten times over. I would risk the wrath of the whole kingdom if that’s what it took.”  
He looked so sure and self-assured, Auguste calmed down considerably.

“I am sorry I didn’t tell you before but I actually wanted to tell you in person and that is part of the reason I am here. I wanted you to know. I would never exclude you from my life, but I need you to accept our relationship. I won’t give Damen up, not even for you.” Laurent stared him straight in the eye. 

This more than anything convinced Auguste that his brother actually meant business.

“You won’t give him up, you say. So, this is more than just fucking?” He was glad his voice actually came out level-headed and calm.

“Yes, Auguste. If you didn’t loose your shit like that I would have explained you everything patiently, but you just had to go all caveman, as if that would solve anything.” Now it was Laurent’s turn to sound angry. He glared at his big brother with distaste on his handsome face. 

“That’s at least something.”  
Laurent snorted. He shook his head. “You seriously need to apologize to Damen or we two will have a problem. I won’t tolerate you accusing him of anything.”

For the first time this evening Damen spoke up, “He is right, Laurent. He put your life in my hands and the two of us have had a powerful dependency relationship. I was your attachment figure for a long time and it could be possible that I exploit part of that in pursuing a relationship with you. I can absolutely understand Auguste’s fear and anger and even more I had them myself."

"I didn’t tell you but I doubt my own intentions and my part in our getting together often. Sometimes I can’t sleep because I am so troubled by the thoughts in my head. Do you have any idea how your own brother has to feel? He put us together and trusted both of us to take care of your needs.”

Laurent stared at the other man in silent disbelief. “Thank you for setting the record straight then. Now I at least know where I stand with the two of you.“ 

His face was stony, his voice sounded like cut glass and suddenly Auguste was afraid. The anger sucked out from him by the way his brother looked in that moment.

“Where you stand?“ he asked cautiously. He knew Laurent was furious and very hurt. The blank look on his face gave him away. Although he didn’t betray his feelings in his expression.

Laurent took a step away from them. Pulling back not only physically but also emotionally. Auguste knew their window of opportunity was shrinking with every second that passed. He desperately scrambled to say something, anything to keep Laurent from shutting down. But Damen was faster. 

He had almost forgotten that the bodyguard knew his brother just as well as he did.

“Laurent, sweetheart, you know I didn‘t mean that I doubt my love for you. I never would. You are the most precious person in my life and being together with you, having you by my side is the greatest happiness I can imagine. However, I sometimes regret that you didn’t have the chance to explore what or better who you want. You were sheltered from the beginning and as if that wasn’t enough you did everything a bit faster than a normal person."

He took a deep breath before he continued, "You finished university at an age before most of us even started it. You are now CEO of a very important company and at the same time the brother of the king and second in line for the throne. You were stuck with me from the beginning and that wasn’t fair. I only did my job but I also kept you from having a normal teenage experience like everybody else.“

Laurent scoffed, it was so unlike himself that Auguste just gaped at him for a moment. Then his brother said, “Damianos, I don’t care what you think concerning this matter because all I heard up until now is utter rubbish. I didn’t explore because I was in love with you not the other way around. I knew I wanted you, why should I try to be happy in a relationship with someone else? I had my fun, I had sex, some casual and very stimulating affairs and I didn’t feel pressured by you or someone else for that matter. For fucks sake, I pined after you since I was fourteen.”

He sighed again, Auguste was relieved to see, that was much more like the brother he knew. 

“Both of you need to stop thinking that I can’t make my own decisions because I am younger than the two of you. I decided I wanted to fuck Damen and I am deciding now that I want to continue doing that. I decided that I love you, Damianos and I am the one who decides if I will be pursuing a relationship with you. It’s up to you to decide if you want that with me but it’s not up to you to tell me what I want. Did I make myself clear enough?”

Damen nodded slowly. “Crystal clear.”

“Good. We will have an extended talk later about all of this.” His piercing blue eyes, the same color Auguste saw whenever he looked in the mirror, fixated on him. 

“Then to you, brother dear. I expect you to respect these decisions and I expect you to be reasonable about our relationship. I will always love you but if you still think you have to interfere with every single one of my matters then I suppose it would be better if we took some distance from each other.”

Auguste knew he had no real choice in that matter. He honestly loved his brother more than his own life and he would never chose the option which could drive a wedge between them.  
He needed Laurent in his life. 

“Fine. I want an explanation and I want you to know that I am not happy with the whole thing, most of all because neither of you thought about telling me beforehand. But I am willing to listen to you and respect your decisions.” He racked one hand through his hair. 

He would go gray because of his brother, he just knew it. 

Laurent seemed more or less satisfied. He sat down again, that was a good sign and Auguste internally patted himself on the shoulder. He knew that was the best he could hope for. Laurent was no one who wasted time on fools.

“Well then, I will start at the beginning,” Laurent said and took a sip of his tea, his poise back to before, as if he had no care in the world.


End file.
